Delusions and Friendship
by FroggyPen
Summary: What happened before Ib and Garry came along? Drabble Series, showing glimpses of Mary's life before her death. Gen. Mary-centric.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Froggy does not own. Sorry.

A/N: This is set before the events of the Ib game, but after my other story, Golden Mary. Please enjoy! Concrit is welcome, flames toast the fires of my passion to improve.

* * *

"What's this doing here?" Thrown to one side as if discarded while on the run, the object lay on its side.

Curiosity piqued, the golden haired girl kneels down to investigate the object. "A…a book?" she mumbles to her self, voice soft from disuse. A pair of small, childish hands turns it over to check for marks of ownership, flipping through the pages to make sure.

She voices her suspicions aloud, as if there were an audience: "Does this belong to one of the ladies?" A smile graces her lips and a glint of mischief enters her eyes. "Doesn't matter; it's mine now!" Hugging the leather wrapped book to her chest, the green waif runs down the darkened hallways giggling in ecstasy, the red bookmark attached to the book trailing behind her as if caught in some wind.

The various artworks lining the walls call after her to slow down, voices tinged with annoyance, but she pays them no heed– talking canvases are hardly rare here, although they may be reluctant to speak. The girl finally comes to a stop at the end of a long, undecorated hallway and sits down gracelessly below an empty canvas lined with painted yellow roses.

Excitement is clear in her actions, and her hand shakes as she prepares to put ink to the virgin pages. With a deep breath, she begins.

* * *

_Dear Diary, _

_It's very nice to meet you! I found you lying on the floor by the Liars-it's a good thing I saved you, else you would have been squashed under a mannequin's foot. _

_But you weren't you see, and now I've got the chance to meet you! I'll be taking care of you from now on. My name's Mary, and no, I'm not quite contrary. It isn't very nice to assume things you know? That's what Papa said. Sorry if I sound strange, it's been a long time since I've talked to an outsider. The last one was ages ago, and she left in the end. They all do. _

_Who else lives here? Well, Papa made many more people, so it is a little crowded, but the dolls are nice to me, and so are some of the Liars. In fact, I'll bring you over later so that you can meet them! We can play together! Still, they don't speak to me much, and some people here are mean. It gets pretty annoying sometimes. _

_I'm actually using a crayon right now to speak to you, but you don't mind do you? I'm absolutely sure you don't! There are some pens lying around, but I couldn't wait to speak to you. Let's be best friends forever! _

_-Annamaria "Mary" Guertana_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Froggy does not own. Sorry.

A/N: This is set before the events of the Ib game, but after my other story, Golden Mary. Please enjoy! Concrit is welcome, flames toast the fires of my passion to improve.

* * *

Mary glared at her opponent, indignation bubbling to the surface. "What do you mean I'm not correct?" She bangs her fist down on the table.

The dolls stared back, their expressions unchanging. A murmur of indecipherable voices was raised in assent, and the room started pulsing around them. The Liars in the portraits shook their frames as if to warn the crowd to quiet down, and the Lady in Red sniffed haughtily, as if such commotions were beneath her.

Mary huffed indignantly, her fist balled up, insisting that "Qzuyz is _too_ a real word!"

The artworks were huddled around a small table, a small Scrabble board made of paper being the only thing on it. Mary in particular, was losing, badly. The paper tokens on her end were crumpled up in frustration, and it was clear the game was going poorly for the young portrait.

The doll that passed as a mouthpiece was reclining against a chair, confident of their victory.

"We strongly disagree."

The voice was harsh, grating on the ears like nails against a blackboard. The other players winced, or at least those with ears did, but Mary paid the quality of the voice no heed.

Pushing on, she pointed a finger accusingly at the Blue Liar, saying "You said it was! You told me that, just now."

"Hey, hey, little Mary, please. I am a _Liar. _I just want to win yes?" The top-hatted man put his hand up in mock surrender, but he was clearly laughing despite the lack of a face. "You surely didn't _trust _me did you?" Tears of mirth were making their way down his face now, and Mary's face fell in response.

"I'll tell Diary about you!" she threatened, and stood up, sweet face set in anger. Her shoulders were stiff as shestood and turned with a sharp movement. Suddenly, she takes off down the hallway, on her way back to her confidant. Her complaints echoed along the gallery, fading into the distance.

The remaining players around the table give a collective sigh of exasperation and the doll smacks its head with a limp arm.

"Little _princess_ Mary…"

The Lady in Red looks up from her tokens, apathy clear in her voice. "Don't worry. She'll be back later." Satisfied with voicing her piece, she refocuses her attention on the game, staring intently at the Liar as if to dissuade him from cheating.

In response to being under suspicion, the Liar conceals an affected cough and puts his hands up, yet again in a false gesture of surrender. "Lets get back to the game shall we?" he said.

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_Why are they so very very _mean_? You agree with me right? I thought the Blue Liar was nice! Well, he is, sometimes, but did he have to humiliate me? I'm really upset right now! Doll isn't helping either! _

_Sometimes, I really do hate this place. 'Fabricated World' my foot. A fake person wouldn't be so mean to me! Diary, I ran straight here after they bullied me. I'll show them. I'll show them all! I have just the idea for my revenge. You'll help me right? My most loyal friend, let's plan it out together. It's going to be fun, so very very fun! _

_Of course, I know Doll was just trying to help, but that wasn't very nice of him to call me out like that. He's always been so brutally honest. Ah, this is embarrassing: to tell the truth, I lost my temper. You don't like it, I know, but really, I couldn't help it! I'm sorry Diary, I'll try again next time. Papa always said I'll become ugly if I get mad too often, that my face will freeze that way. Isn't that silly of him? _

_I haven't seen Papa in years. _

_I'll write again later, since I think I hear the Lady in Red coming this way. She doesn't know about you yet. The stupid ugly-faced Blue Liar may have though he got the best of me, but he'll have another think coming, soon!_

_-Annamaria "Mary" Guertana_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Froggy does not own. Sorry.

A/N: This is set before the events of the Ib game, but after my other story, Golden Mary. Please enjoy! Concrit is welcome, flames toast the fires of my passion to improve.

* * *

"My dearest Mary, could you go tell the hands to stop stealing my ring?" asked the Weeping Bride , her sweet face furrowing in her annoyance. "It's the fifth time already, and I'm worried they'll not give it back this time."

"Hi Mrs. Bride!" Mary said, bouncing up and down on her heels. In one petite fist, she clenches a small object. "I'm way ahead of you!" She presents her hand, palm up, to the lady. Nestled in it like a baby bird was the Bride's ring.

The bride curtseyed with a slight nod of her head. "Thank you, dear Mary." The hand statue that Mary was leaning on suddenly moved, plucking the little band from the girl and sliding it with a deft movement onto it's finger. Mary looked up with dissatisfaction at the portrait. Her smile turned into a pout.

"You didn't ask me how I found it!" she said, "You need to ask me Mrs. Bride, it's not fair otherwise!" Mary stamps her foot to emphasize her displeasure.

The Bride sighed and leaned against her frame. Her hands crossed over her chest in boredom, she asked the green waif in front of her, "So how did you find it this time, my Mary?"

Mary's face brightens and she launches into her tale. "So you see, I was just taking a walk with Diary, right? And then I saw the hands just waving around like they were dancing or something. By the way Mrs. Bride, they dance really strangely, like they're having a fit or something, and it doesn't look fun in the slightest!"

The Bride interrupted Mary, guessing that it's a form of dance called Rave, or Disk-co; she wasn't really sure how to spell the name.

Mary listened to the Bride's explanation and shook her head. "Nope, they definitely were having an epileptic fit. Anyway, after that, I saw the hands making rude gestures and pointing this little sparkly thing in the corner, so I went to get it. I snuck off afterwards, and they didn't even notice!" She doubles over in laughter and even the Bride smiled to humor the little girl.

"Then what happened, dear Mary?"

"Well, I just came over straight away, and you know the rest!"

Something jabbed into Mary's side, and she gave a glare to the offender, which turned out to be a delegation of the hands. The spokesperson signed its displeasure, vaguely conveying betrayal in a series of animated gestures.

The bride's eyes sharpened at the sight of the ring thieves. "What do you want this time, you mangy lowlifes? Come again to disgrace yourselves like the fools you are?" Her hands were planted firmly on her hips and the veil fluttered in an invisible breeze.

The hands splayed in mock surprise, and as one, made the same rude gesture at the bride. Their contempt for the bride was very clear. In response to this, the bride gasped in horror, as if she could not believe her eyes.

Mary tried to distract the two, saying "Hands, Mrs. Bride, let's play hide and seek!" She was ignored. One of the smaller hands detached itself from the wall and moved over to Mary. It made a few deft gestures, but the message was clear- _Busy, play later, you're a meanie. _Her lips turned into a pout. "Fine, don't play. I don't need you anyways." She kicked at the ground and turned around, intending to go back to her hallway.

As she left, the bride called, out, although her eyes never left the hands. "See you around, little niece." Mary's lips curled up at the corners, and she let out a little giggle at the pet name.

Mary left the hallway with a skip in her step, leaving the two artworks to their staring match, which stretched on for days on an end to no obvious conclusion.

* * *

_Dear Diary, _

_Mrs. Bride called me her niece today! Isn't that interesting? Still, I don't get what a Deeskiyo is. Aren't dances supposed to be graceful, like the waltz, or happy, like a spring festival dance? What's the fun in moving around like a madman? Mad man? Mad hand? Mad hen! Haha~ The hands are hens! Fancy that, Diary._

_Anyway, I now have an aunt. That is just so amazing, it's almost surreal. The hands are a bunch of meanies anyways, so I don't regret spoiling their fun. They deserve it, 'cause d'you know what the hands do to me? They keep poking me, and it hurts just so much! Which is strange, considering most of us can't touch each other. Not me of course. I'm special. I have this beautiful knife you see, and it can _hurt _the others. D'you think I should? I would be fun._

_Although maybe I shouldn't: Papa said stealing is bad once, and fighting is worse. I'm ladylike you see, I am! Hey, Diary, I do hope that Aunt Bride won that staring contest, else I'll have to go find the ring again. I'll go check. _

_-Annamaria "Mary" Guertana_


End file.
